To Violet

To Violet

It’s not long until you’ll be here with us. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone since we found out about you, and sometimes I still can’t believe you’re real. I wish I could say I wasn’t scared, but that would be a blatant lie. I am scared. I’m scared that I won’t be a good father to you. I’m scared that I won’t be able to raise you well and give you everything you need. I’m even scared that you won’t like me!

But I also can’t wait to meet you. To feel your hand grab hold of my finger. To kiss your forehead and cuddle you all the time. To hear your first words and watch your first steps and witness you grow into a confident woman. There’s so much for you to experience and look forward to.

Though I must admit, I also feel guilty for bringing you into this world. This world still subjugated by greed and hate and intolerance. It seems unfair that you should have to navigate these waters which your mum and I, certainly, have found so treacherous in our first twenty odd years. After all, it’s not like you chose to come here. The world you’re being born into is far from a perfect place. We’re yet to learn from history and there are a lot of things going wrong out there. People can be horrible, life can be unfair, days can be tough.

But remember, Violet, that life can also be beautiful.

I’m so afraid that I won’t always be able to protect you, but maybe you won’t always need protecting. Maybe you can be the change you want to see in the world. The way to make life better is to be a better person. Be yourself, be kind, help others, speak your mind, stand up for intolerance and find joy in little things.

I want you to know whatever you choose to do and whoever you want to be, I’ll support you. And I’ll be proud of you. You needn’t be afraid of the world like I’ve been, because you’re going to be one of the good ones.

And I know I’ll be a little less afraid soon, because the world’s going to be better when you’re in it.